Boat-control system



June 1943- J. F. MORSE BOAT CONTROL, SYSTEM Filed May 15, 1942 INVENTORQ .fafi/i E %mra Y WW4 ATTORNEY Patented June 8, .1943

BOAT-CONTROL SYSTEM John F. Morse, Hudson, Ohio Application M... 15, 1942, Serial No. 443,159

20 Claims.

This invention relates to boat control systems. Its chief objects are to provide improved control apparatus adapted for easy coordination of steering, increase and decrease of power application, reversing, steering in reverse, and braking; to provide for coordination of some or all of those things in conjunction with governor control; to provide for coordination of some or all of those things by the manipulation of a single control member; and to'provide simplicity, economy and durability of construction. I

It is a further object of the invention to improve upon the propelling systems and steering devices commonly used in power boats so that boats may be more readily and easily maneuvered and operated and that certain disadvantages in the standard systems now in use for this purpose may be obviated. In the operation of a power boat, it is necessary that the propeller be reversed so as to retard the forward movement of the boat, as, for example, in approaching a landing or avoiding a collision; As at present constructed, the means for reversing the propeller requires the manipulation of several controls in order to avoid stalling the motor. If the motor is stalled, the boat will drift and there is no means by which its forward motion may be stopped readily.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a combination of control elements by which it is practically impossible to stall the motor when reversing the propeller. The arrangement is such that the devices which prevent the stalling of the motor are all controlled and interconnected with the single hand control by which the direction ,of the propeller is controlled so that during the reversing of the propeller, the motor will be automatically slowed down when in neutra1 and speed resumed when the reverse is engaged.

This makes it possible to reverse the propeller in either direction almost instantaneously without danger of stalling the motor and makes it possible for even an inexperienced operator to,

retard the forward movement of the boat and reduce the period required to bring the boat from its topmost speed to a safe landing speed. It

also makes it possible to back the boat away from its mooring point more expeditiously than has been possible heretofore.

used with power boats is greatly reduced in re-' verse because these rudders depend primarily upon the reaction from the stream flowing from the propeller, or the prop-flow" as it is frequently termed. When the propeller is reversed,

, improved boat control, there is employed a form of rudder which is movable to either side of the plane of the propeller so that it acts with equal emciency in either direction of movement of the boat. This rudder-is connected to the single lever or stick by which the direction of the propeller is controlled. In this manner the operator of the boat may, with a single mechanism, control not only the direction of rotation of the propeller, but the speed of the motor and the steering of the boat in either direction.

Instead of the cradled and pivoted control stick shown herein, a steering wheel, the post of which is pivotally mounted, may be used. In

fact, any single control element can be used provided that it has the capability of rocking in two planes.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a perspective view, somewhat diagrammatic, or a boat control system embodying my invention in its preferred form.

Referring to the drawing, the system comprises a motor iii, and a governor Ii therefor having a hand-knob 82 for setting the governor for different speeds, through a rock-shaft I3.

The governor controls the throttle through a hollowrock-shaft it which surrounds the setting shaft !3 and has secured upon it an arm i5 to which is hinged a link l6 having a, stopcollar il secured upon its outer end. A slidecollar 88 is mounted upon the link l6 and is constantly urged toward the stop-collar II by a helical compression spring l9 which is interposed between a. spring-seat collar 20 secured upon the 'link and a spring-seat collar 2| slidably mounted upon the link. The slide-collar l8 has hinged to it the upper arm of a two-armed lever 22- which is secured upon a rocker-rod 23 which is mounted in axial alignment with the oscillative throttle rod 24 of the motor.

Secured upon the rocker-rod 23 is an arm 25 which engages a stud 26 projecting from a throttle-lever arm 21 which is secured upon the throttle rod 24 and connected to a stationary bracket 28 by a pull spring 29.

The arrangement as described is such that the governor control can be over-ridden for slower over-ridden for faster speed, as for testing or clearing the motor,,or for hand-control, with stretching of the spring 23, by pushing of the hand-knob 3|.

For the latter purpose a push-wire 30 having a hand-knob 3| slidably extends through a hole in the throttle lever 21 and has secured upon it a push-collar 32 engaging the throttle lever.

The drive shaft of the governor has connection with a tachometer of which the dial is designated 33. It is mounted alongside of a dial 33 adapted to indicate the setting of the governor, the tachometer being adapted to check the accuracy of the governor control, both of the indicators reading the same when the governorcontrol is in proper adjustment.

For over-riding the governor-control for slower speed an arm 35 is pivoted on the rocker-rod 23 and provided with a stud 36 adapted to engage the lower arm of the lever 22' and thus turn the rod 23 to lower speed position, against the force of the spring l9, when a pull-link 31, hinged to the arm 35, is moved to the right as viewed in the figure.

In the embodiment here shown a single hand The hand lever 38 is fulcrumed at 33 in a rocking frame comprising an upper rectangular portion 30, which is disposed in a horizontal position in normal straight-line driving of the boat, and a lower, U-shaped porton 30, which at such times is disposed in a vertical position. The rocker frame has in axial extension thereof two oppositely extending rods which constitute a rock-shaft 3|, of which the bearings are indicated at 32, 33, 33.

The hand lever 38 has a handle 35 hinged to its upper end at 36 and connected by a parallel motion link 31 with a bracket 38 mounted in the rocking frame so that the handle 35 continues to be in a substantially vertical position, for firm hand engagement, as the hand lever is moved forward and backward.

For effective steering at low speeds, and espetimes as the reverse gear is in neutral, but a pull spring 13 is adapted to .hold the roller 33 in contact with the cam, on either side of the hump, and thus restore the effectiveness of the 80V- emor-control, as soon as the hand lever has passed neutral position in either direction.

Also the rock-shaft 33 has connection, through an arm 1 I, a link 12 and a lever 13, with a propeller brake 13, the arrangement being such that the brake is applied when, but only when, the transmission is in neutral.

The mode of operation is manifest from the foregoing description, as are also the advantages corresponding to the above statement of objects.

Various modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A boat control system comprising a motor throttle, overnor-control-over-riding means, motor-disabling means, a brake, steering means. a manual-control member, and means operatively connecting-said member with all of the other elements recited. i

2. A boat control system comprising a motor throttle, motor-disabling means, a brake, steering means, a manual-control member, and means operatively connecting said member with all of the other elements recited.

3. A boat control system comprising steering means eifective in forward or reverse movement of the boat, said steering means comprising rudder means adapted to be impinged upon by the slip stream of the propeller in both directions,

' means for reversing the direction of propeller cially for effective steering in reverse, which with the boat the advance end of the boat moves in the lateral direction in which the hand lever 38 is moved.

The hand lever extends below its fulcrum 39 and is-providedwith an end latch 53 controlled, through suitable connections, by a release trigger..55,.and "adapted to be engaged in one or -another of notches formed in the U-shaped swinging-frame member 30, for holding the hand lever in forward, neutral or reverse position.

Hinged to the lower arm of the hand lever is a two-part link provided with a universal joint 51 and having rotatably mounted on its rear end a collar 58 held between positioning collars 53, 30. Hinged to the collar 53 at 3| is thrust, a single control member and operative connections from said control member to the steering means and the reversing means.

4. A boat control system comprising steering means, a single manual-control member, means operatively connecting the control member and the steering means, and means also operatively connected to said manual-control member for effecting at least one of the following: braking, propelier-reversing.

5. A boat control system comprising a motor,

f a propeller, steering means, throttle-control means, motor-disconnecting means, propeller-reversing means, a manual-control member, and actuating connections between said member and each of the said means.

6. A boat control system comprising a motor, a propeller, steering means, throttle-control means, propeller-reversing means, a manual-control member, and actuating connections between said memberand each of the said means.

.7. A boat control system comprising a motor, a

' propeller, steering means, throttle-control means,

braking means, propeller-reversing means, a manual-control member, and actuating connections between said member and each of the said means.

8. A boat control system comprising a hinged frameproviding a fulcrum and a ratchetfor a control lever, a control lever i'ulcrumed thereon and engageable with said ratchet, steering means connected to said frame for-actuation by hing'ing movement thereof, and propeller-controlling means connected to said lever for actuation by movement of the lever about its fulcrum.

9. A vehicle control system comprising a hinged frame providing a fulcrum for a control lever, a control lever fulcrumed thereon, a rock-shaft coaxial with and connected to said frame for actuation by hinging movement thereof, a link connected to said lever for actuation by movement of the lever about its fulcrum, and propeller-reversing means actuated by said link.

10. A boat control system comprising a motor, a governor-control therefor, a propulsion member driven by the motor, means for connecting and disconnecting the motor with relation to the propulsion member, latch means for disabling the governor-control, and motor oontro1 means operable while the governor-control is held disabled by said latching means.

11. A boat control system comprising a motor, a propeller, steering means, propeller-reversing means, a unitary manual-control member, and actuating connections between said member and each of said means.

12. A boat control system comprising steering means, a motor throttle, a brake, a unitary'manan engine, a propeller and reversible propeller driving means, a control stick which is pivotally mounted so as to be movable on two axes, a rudder connected to the stick and movable when vice which is capable of movement in two planes,

ual-control member, and means operatively-con- I necting said member with each of the other three elements recited.

13. In a control system for power operated boats comprising an engine and a propeller, a single control device for reversing the direction in which the boat is moved by the propeller and for steering the boat, said device including a rudder movable to either side of the plane of rotation of the propeller, operating connections from the control device to the rudder, and'means for retarding the rotation of the propeller and for reducing the speed of the engine also connected to said control and operable therefrom in shifting the control devicefor reversing the direction of the propeller.

'14. In a power boat control system including an engine, a propeller and propeller driving means, a single control device movable in two planes to control the direction in which the boat is moved by the propeller and the steering of the boat, respectively, a throttle for controlling the speed of the engine, a brake for retarding the rotation of the propeller, means actuated by the movement of the control device in one of its planes simultaneously to disconnect'the propeller driving means, apply the brake to the propeller and operate the throttle to reduce the speed of the engine, a rudder surrounding the propeller and movable to either side of the plane of rotation of the propeller, and connecting means between the control device and the rudder and operable by the movement of the control device in its otherplane.

15. In a power boat control system including an engine, a propeller and propeller driving means, a control stick, a rocking cradle in which the stick is pivoted, connections from thestick to the propeller driving means, a rudder surrounding the propeller and movable to either side of the plane of rotation of the propeller, operating connections from the cradle to the rudder, a throttle for the engine and a governor for the throttle, and means actuated during pivotal movement of the control stickfor overriding the governor and closing the throttle.

16. In a power boat control system including a rudder comprising a pivoted shield surrounding the propeller. and movable on either side of the plane of rotation of the propeller, connections from the control device to the rudder whereby the rudder may be operated by movement of the control device in one plane, means connected with the control device whereby the movement of the control device in the other plane will reversethe propeller, and means associated with the control device for controlling the speed of the engine andof the propeller during the reversal of the propeller.

18. In a power boat control system including an engine, a reversible propeller driven thereby, a brake onthe propeller, a throttle for the engine, a governor for the throttle and a rudder, a single pivoted control device having forward, neutral and reverse positions when moved in one plane and having a secondary movement independent of the pivotal movement, a shaft for reversing the propeller connected to the control device, a trip on the shaft having connections to the brake, the throttle and the governor to apply the brake, close the throttle and override the governor when the control device is in neutral position, and

having a secondary movement independent of the pivotal movement, a shaft connecting the control device and the reversing gear, a trip on the shaft having connections to the throttle and the governor to close the throttle and override the governor when the control device is in neutral position, and means'to connect the controldevice to the rudder whereby the rudder may be moved by the secondary movement of the control device.

'20. In a powerboat control and steering system, including an engine, a reversing gear and propeller shaft driven thereby, a throttle for the engine, a pivoted control device having forward, neutral and reverse positions when moved in one plane, said control device being also movable in a second plane, a shaft connecting the control device and the reversing gear and movable when the control device is moved in the first plane, a second shaft having connections to the throttle, means actuated by the first named shaft when the control device is in neutral position for closing the throttle, and connections from the control device to the rudder whereby the rudder is operated when the control device is moved in the second plane.

JOHN F. MORSE. 

